Another piece from my Italian great-grandmother’s glory box… {Bisnonna Francesca (Cesca in my books)}. This hand-embroidered pillow sham from 1920s Calabria travelled in the hull of a ship across the world to a new life in Australia and remained tucked away for many decades… a keepsake of another place and life that might have been.

The word chikan is most likely derived from the Persian word `chikin’ or `chikeen’ which implies a sort of weaved fabric. This workmanship has its own particular imperial essentialness rising above from Mughal Period to the time of Oudh Nawabs later sprouting as a design driven type of needle art perceived world over today. 116 more words

Indian Chikan work fundamentally comprises of various procedures, in particular cutting, sewing and printing, weaving, washing and wrapping up. Cutting and sewing are finished by the same individual. 136 more words

The strategy of formation of a Chikan work is known as Chikankari. Chikan is a sensitive and shrewdly done hand weaving on an assortment of material fabric like muslin, silk, chiffon, organza, net, and so forth. 188 more words